


broken mask

by supreme_leader_grimm



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Canon Divergence, Enemies to Friends, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, M/M, Suicide Attempt, post ch4 trial, to lovers?? kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-15 20:56:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18677254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supreme_leader_grimm/pseuds/supreme_leader_grimm
Summary: “What are you holding?" The astronaut demanded to know, stepping forward. However Ouma took a step back, bumping into the shelves behind him. The same neutral expression remained on his features, but his body language told another story. Completely unusual for him. Something was off. Before, in the trial, Ouma seemed to certain of how evil he really was. He punched Kaito, for god's sake. He killed Gonta and Iruma mercilessly. But this boy in front of him just didn't look like a killer anymore.Was he wrong about Ouma, or was this another lie?ーーーーーーーOuma runs off. Kaito follows him.





	broken mask

The hand grasping at him to stay put was pushed away. Kaito stormed through the shrine of judgement and down the path, a piece of his mind certainly about to be delivered. Blood still dripped down from his lips, and he wiped at it absentmindedly with the back of his sleeve.

He had seen that fucker go into the school instead of the dorms.

God was he furious. Maybe not at Ouma completely, because he sure as hell was mad at Shuichi. But Ouma killed Iruma. Ouma killed Gonta. Ouma claimed himself to be "pure malice" or whatever bullshit, and Kaito wasn't having that. He was tired of this. Tired of playing silly games, even if they were fun originally. 

If Ouma wanted to be the bad guy, then Momota would keep being the hero.

He followed the small boy through the halls, and immediately could tell the other hadn't actually noticed his presence. He seemed... very tense. yet normally if Ouma was around others, he relaxed more. He didn't show anything. Kaito briefly wondered why he knew so much about Ouma’s body language.

_It’s whatever._

Finally he was led to the fifth floor, where he watched Ouma disappear into the detective's lab. The astronaut followed suit, listening through the door before opening it.

All he heard was the sound of things breaking and glass shattering. Thumps on the ground repeated. That was when Kaito burst open the door, fear stricken at what exactly Ouma was doing in there. He considered maybe the other was getting poison, or planning murder, but he was met with a messy room and the pale boy staring at him with wide eyes. Like he didn't expect anyone to find him like this. 

It didn't take a genius to tell he was crying, but his expression was that of a deer in headlights as he stared down the astronaut.

_Completely vulnerable._

The lab was trashed. the bottles of poison littered the floor in a combination of glass shards and sizzling holes in the rug. The furniture was flipped over, some of the wood being thrown in the fireplace. All of the case files were on the floor, and Kaito wondered how someone so small managed to do so much damage in the little time he was here.

“Leave," was all Ouma said as his expression fell neutral again. his tears were still fresh- they weren't crocodile, Kaito noticed. He couldn't will them away. They were real. 

“What are you doing?" Kaito asked carefully, decidedly looking just beyond Ouma’s eyes. he subconsciously walked inside, blocking the exit from the other's access. He was curious now. Why here? Why crying? Why destroying everything? "Don’t you know Monokuma’s just going to clean this up?"

“I don't care," the leader replied in an even voice, though it was slightly hoarse. Probably from crying. "Leave."

“Why are you messing with Shuichi’s lab?" Kaito pressed on. He was so angry with Ouma before, and he still was. But he was more-so suspicious, and oh-so-curious. "You trying to kill someone else too, you fucking brat?"

“No," Ouma replied in an unreadable tone, somewhere between desperation and fear. But he quickly added, “I mean, yes. but I wouldn't tell you that, nishishi." It didn't feel genuine, that time. like an afterthought, a correction. He inspected the liar, taking in his more stiff than usual figure. his messy hair, like it'd been clenched at. The way his hands were behind his back, but not in his usual child-like way. He was hiding something.

“What are you holding?" The astronaut demanded to know, stepping forward. However Ouma took a step back, bumping into the shelves behind him. The same neutral expression remained on his features, but his body language told another story. Completely unusual for him. Something was off. Before, in the trial, Ouma seemed to certain of how evil he really was. He punched Kaito, for god's sake. He killed Gonta and Iruma mercilessly. But this boy in front of him just didn't look like a killer anymore.

Was he wrong about Ouma, or was this another lie?

Probably a lie. But everything felt so genuine in the moment. 

“Nothing."

“Show me."

“I just said it's nothing, you idiot."

Kaito exhaled a sharp breath through his nose, remembering why he hated this asshole. Why couldn't he just cooperate? Why did he have to be a dick all the time? The astronaut stormed across the room, easily grabbing Ouma by the wrist as he tried to run away.

That’s when he saw what the smaller boy was holding.

It was a tiny bottle, no bigger than one of those mini-water's you could get at a store. Blue cap and a brownish color glass, with a label that had seemingly a thousand warnings on it. 

Poison.

“Were you going to kill someone? Fucking seriously?" Kaito hissed at him, surprisingly making the other jump and recoil a little bit. "Who was this for?"

“Nobody," Ouma replied in a voice that seemed incredibly out of character. Incredibly vulnerable and a little unsettling. Was this even the same Ouma? Did he have some disorder like shinguji? What had changed between the trial and now? Before he'd been so... malicious. So terrifying and aggravating and now he was just some meek looking loser, not even replying in real sentences. Kaito looked him over again and spotted the paper sticking from his pocket, grabbing that too and wrenching the poison from his hand.

Ouma actually reached for the paper, which surprised Kaito a little. But he was taller, and held it out of reach. The look of slight desperation as he went for it was so unnerving. 

But instead of reaching for it again, the leader's face went blank and he sat down on the one remaining couch, head in his hands. Kaito gave him a look before opening the crudely folded paper, realizing it was a note addressed to Shuichi. 

_dear saihara-chan,_  
_please win. i'm sorry i betrayed your trust. i don't deserve you, or to continue living after everything i've done._  
_goodbye._

Kaito frowned. Was this a lie? It seemed too genuine to be something like that, even if it was Ouma. He thought back to what happened after the trial, and how Saihara had snapped at the leader... was.. was this his response? Did that really cut deep for him? A part of Kaito wanted to take some satisfaction out of seeing Ouma down a few levels, but seeing him this far was... horrifying, at least. 

And suddenly Kaito felt bad for all the insults he'd thrown. Of course Ouma insulted him too but... was it necessary to retaliate? Had Kaito simply fueled it? The astronaut never felt specifically cut down by anything Ouma had said, and took them more like jokes. And he liked to joke back but... had they really done that much damage? He looked at Ouma’s slouched over form on the couch, back silently shaking as Kaito could only assume he was crying.

Kaito threw the poison bottle at the floor towards the corner of the room. It hit with a smash, making Ouma jump but not look up. then the larger boy sat down beside him, not saying anything besides awkwardly tapping on his legs a little. 

“Sorry you had to read that," Ouma said quietly after a while of near silent sobbing. His voice was even more hoarse than before, and he sniffled occasionally. A glance at the clock told Kaito it was getting late, but he didn't want to leave. All the poison had been destroyed, hopefully. But could he really trust Ouma to be alone after that? Without a fear of him dying?

He didn't even care about Ouma really... but the thought of anymore classmates dying just sounded horrible. So he sat with him, patting his back after the other spoke. 

“I didn't know it was like that for you," Kaito just replied softly. It was a little weird of wording, he thought. But he'd also never dealt with anything like this. He’d never had these issues himself. He’d never known anyone who did. This really was something else.

“I don't need your pity, Momota-chan. I need you to go away," The leader replied, a little more clear and harsh. "I want to be alone."

“Do you want to, really?" Kaito asked, a little more shocked than anything. He knew Ouma preferred solitude, considering he skipped a lot of meals and used to make Tojo get them, but he seemed to work best around others. Hell, even his talent suggested group work. 

“No," he said, very quietly. "I want Saihara to be happy, though."

“Why? he doesn't like you that much, so I don't know why you'd waste your time with that," Kaito said honestly, knowing of the detective's distaste. "Like, he's a nice guy, but you shouldn't be trying to satisfy someone who doesn't really care what you do."

“You’re stupid," Ouma spoke bluntly, sitting up straight and placing his hands over his face still. "Of course I know he doesn't like me. I just thought maybe I could change that. And I can't. so I don't really have a reason to keep trying."

"Why don't you just like.. try doing something else? I mean, Shuichi’s just a dude. He’s cool and my bro, but you shouldn't live your life just for one person you wanna be friends with."

“Oh my god," Ouma groaned, hoarse voice cracking. "I _love_ him, you dumbass. Affectionate feelings. Want to be romantically involved. Like how Harukawa feels about you, you understand? Do you get that?" 

“Don’t talk to me like i'm two! I know what love is! I just didn't think you were into him that way," Kaito protested, crossing his arms. “I’m trying to help you, dude. Don’t be so angry at me."

“I don't want to love Saihara anymore. I know he doesn't love me back, and I know it's a waste of my time, but it's not just something I can turn off and..." he sighed, twisting a strand of hair on one of his fingers. It seemed like a nervous habit, almost. "Never mind. You should go, Momota."

_This goes much deeper than Saihara._

"I’m not gonna leave you alone."

Ouma looked up at him skeptically, eyes red and puffy from crying. So many tears stained his cheeks, visible in the firelight from the side of them. And it was almost.. serene in a way. Seeing someone who was always so composed and confident in a state like this was surreal, nearly fake. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, Kaito thought. Ouma probably didn't let people see him like this. And Kaito was kind of proud of seeing it.

“So what, you can stop me from killing myself?" The way he said it was so blunt Kaito nearly got whiplash, biting his lip and nodding.

“Yea, I don't want you to die. Even if you're kind of a douche sometimes... you're still kind of cool," Kaito admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. That kind of came out at random, but it was how he felt. So many things about Ouma were genuinely impressive, but Kaito wasn't jealous of him like he was of Shuichi. It was an odd feeling. 

The way Ouma’s face nearly lit up at his words was actually kind of heart warming. It wasn't a dramatic change, but it was visible. His eyes returned to the slightly wide state of surprise, mouth gaping just a little as his brows immediately furrowed and worked to put the mask back together. He smiled, eyes lowering a bit.

"Oh? Momota-chan thinks I’m cool?" 

Normally Kaito wouldn't talk about this sort of thing but... the situation felt right. Ouma had shown him a secret, a raw side of him. It only felt fair to tell him a little too.

“I mean... yea? You’re kind of like, hella smart, dude," Kaito laughed dryly, cracking his own tiny smile as he talked a tad nervously. "You manage to solve trials really fast, even before Shuichi. plus you always win chase, and chess, and I’ve seen you solve milk puzzles.. your time is much faster than mine, and I’m known as a champ."

Ouma listened intently, but Kaito saw the color on his face. He was embarrassed. Or flattered. After a bit more of complimenting the smaller boy, and sharing his observations, the man of the hour spoke.

“It kind of sounds like you have a crush on me, Momota-chan."

They both laughed it off, and talked for much longer. Hours even, eventually returning to the dorms. It was so late now, almost two in the morning. And yet Kaito felt so awake. He’d been having a lot of fun, and by the sudden change in posture and expression and mood from Ouma- the other was having fun too.

But that didn't erase what happened before.

As soon as Ouma went to go to his own dorm, Kaito grabbed his hand.

“Please come stay in my room tonight. I’d feel better if you did," Kaito asked a little desperately. he saw the way Ouma giggled a bit, and frowned. He’d given him the chance to put his mask back up. 

“You’re trying to get me into bed so soon? Ver forward," the leader just laughed, pulling his hand from Momota’s hold.

“Really, I mean it. I want to keep you safe."

Ouma went silent, body returning to its stiff state. When he's stressed, Kaito had guessed earlier in the night. He didn't reply, but just nodded solemnly, avoiding eye contact. 

They went back to Momota’s dorm in silence, and Ouma just stood by the couch holding himself and looking down. Kaito stepped closer to talk to him, but realized he was crying once more. Trying to hide his tears.

And this time, Kaito pulled him into a hug. They had hugged before, a little earlier. But this was a different position as opposed to sitting down, and the smaller boy obviously leaned into the touch, whether he meant to or not.

“You don't have to be alone if you don't want to be," Kaito told him softly. he still wasn't great at this intimate type of comfort, but he was getting better over the past few hours. He had learned a lot, like how Ouma hated being alone. And how much Saihara’s words truly hit him. Ouma just sobbed into his chest in response, prompting Kaito to talk more and gently pat his head. Things he figured out Ouma liked. "You can always come to me for help. I know we haven't gotten along, but I really wanna be your friend."

“I wa..wanna be your friend too," Ouma replied, half stuttering and muffled. "I’m sorry for pu..pushing you away. You really are just helping. I a...appreciate it.." 

They continued like that for awhile, quiet talk until Ouma calmed down enough. He sat on the bed silently, still breathing a little heavy with the occasional sniffle. Kaito changed his shirt, and he swore he heard a small apology from the other, which he still found unsettling. But Ouma was a person too. And he needed to learn that. Both of them did. 

“Where do you want me to sleep..?"

“The bed is fine."

“Oh, okay," Ouma deadpanned for a moment, moving more towards the headboard and sitting with his head on his knees. Kaito went to turn the dorm lights off, and made his way to the bed as well, but the opposite end. He slipped in, folding his arms behind his head.

He couldn't sleep yet. Instead, he silently listened to the other boy. Waiting to hear him snore, or lay down at least. After what felt like hours, there was motion. At first Kaito thought he was getting up, but instead Ouma was moving closer towards him. 

Momota shut his eyes as though he hadn't been awake, and felt Ouma looking at him, probably trying to tell if he was sleeping. The judgement was silent, and there was more motion as Kaito suddenly felt something on his side.

It was Ouma. Lying next to him. 

It was a warm feeling, and Kaito was glad to have reassurance that Ouma was okay. He was going to actually stay all night. He was safe. Momota wasn't sure why he cared so much now but... after tonight, he felt like there was much more he needed to understand about the leader. That he wasn't just an asshole or a liar. 

The larger boy turned on his side, placing a protective arm around Ouma near instinctively. Ouma leaned into him closer, and Kaito felt small hands grabbing at his shirt. It felt good to be able to protect him like this. To be a hero and genuinely help someone, without words or violence or having to pretend he was able to solve all of Ouma’s problems.

He liked it a lot. 

He liked Ouma a lot.

**Author's Note:**

> ayyddggsgs this was a one shot i had a concept for that i decided to write up earlier
> 
> this all is written from my own personal experience with suicide first hand, so its relatable to me but ofc everyone goes thru stuff differently! i dont want to villainize shuichi in any way or anything nor do i wanna villainiaze oumasai/oumasai shippers,, but what shuichi said in ch4 has always been an interesting prompt i wanted to divulge in a little ykno
> 
> so hope u can enjoy! u can find me on tumblr @ataraxixx


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